Observations: 1 month in Northern California after 8 years in Melbourne, AU.

[grue 1]

I moved back a month ago, and into my own place this weekend.

Here's what I've been thinkin':

1. Amazon Prime is fucking amaz(on)ing. Everything from motorcycle tires to vacuum cleaners appearing within 2 days (sometimes hours! I ordered vacuum food sealer on Sunday night at 8pm, it arrived yesterday morning!).

2. It's nice being able to split traffic on the bike (at a reasonable relative speed, not much more than +10mph) without constantly wondering if a cop is going to pull me over. People also get over in their lane quite frequently to make it easier, which I appreciate.

3. Having to park my bike on the street instead of just throwing it on the footpath/sidewalk sucks, though!

4. Wow, fuel is cheap.

5. Wow, food is cheap.

6. Wow, everything is cheap

7. Barely anyone seems to smoke tobacco here, which is pretty nice compared to the near-constant cloud that is walking down a footpath in any Australian city.

8. Sour cream and milk here are inferior. Not sure how the latter happens, but…

9. Oh lord I have a dishwasher and a garbage disposal. This is the life. Dishwashers aren't rare per se in Australia but they're not nearly as much of an assumption as they are here, especially if you're renting. Garbage disposals, otoh, I don't think I saw more than once or twice.

10. BART isn't bad, but the trains are pretty gnarly and old. The ticketing system is MUCH better than the Myki shit in Melbourne, though (which cost more than the Mars Curiosity Rover project!).

11. Everyone sounds funny to me now

12. Oh my god the roads are bad. If I had any fillings they'd have been rattled out by now.

13. Being able to pay for fuel at the pump isn't new, but once you spend 8 years not being able to do it you'll really appreciate it.

14. WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING?

15. There's a lot of sugar in bread here, it's weird.

cavete terrae.

[ryoder 1,590]

grue

14. WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeQqe0oj5Ls

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[luthien 0]

grue

14. WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING?

You will get used to it :) When I moved to USA 8 years ago, I couldn't understand why people use so much cinnamon. Also, salsa tasted wired to me. Guess what? I LOVE cinnamon now and when eating tortilla chips, I always have more salsa then chips itself

There's no point in having a dream unless you make it happen.

[akarunway 1]

Marijuana growing everywhere too!

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[headoverheels 333]

Welcome back.


I had some kinda pumpkin beer last week. I was expecting it to taste like pumpkin spices, but it actually tasted like pumpkin.

[BillyVance 34]

I've had Samuel Adam's version of pumpkin spice beer, whatever it was called specifically, and thought it was pretty good.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[JohnMitchell 16]

grue

5. Wow, food is cheap.

Squeak and Karen were staying with us and went to our local butcher with us. They were amazed at the relatively low prices there.

[hcsvader 1]

$10.40 for a pint of beer in WA....

Have you seen my pants?
it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream
>:)

[oldwomanc6 52]

Whatever you do, just don't start calling it Cali!

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[Trafficdiver 8]

What is your opinion of American Craft beers (not mass produced lawn mower beer like Bud or PBR) vs. Australian beer?